#194 "Whale Watcher"
Sex: Male
Hatch Location and Date: Los Angeles Zoo, 6/29/1998
Release Date: 1/19/1999
Parents: #46 and #11
Local Biological Siblings: #340
Breeding Status: Formerly paired with #171
Deceased: 11/2013, Missing declared dead
After release, Whalewatcher showed an adventurous spirit similar to his mate's (Condor #171), often leading the way into new parts of Big Sur. He had phenomenal foraging skills and often found and fed on various marine mammals when they washed ashore. A clerical error in Whalewatcher's medical file led us to believe that he was female and it was only after he reached sexual maturity at around six years old and began displaying masculine behaviors that we realized the mistake.
Whalewatcher and #171 fostered several chicks and engaged in vigorous territory defense when other condors encroached on their territory or when they felt that something was threatening the chick. Their vigilant parenting served their foster chicks well.
Sadly, in the summer of 2013, Whalewatcher was tracked flying south of Pinnacles National Park into an area known for high lead exposures. Despite having been recently outfitted with a new transmitter, his signal was not picked up and he was not seen again. This missing older condor represents a huge loss for us and the entire flock. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of this bird, please contact us!
Whalewatcher and #171 fostered several chicks and engaged in vigorous territory defense when other condors encroached on their territory or when they felt that something was threatening the chick. Their vigilant parenting served their foster chicks well.
Sadly, in the summer of 2013, Whalewatcher was tracked flying south of Pinnacles National Park into an area known for high lead exposures. Despite having been recently outfitted with a new transmitter, his signal was not picked up and he was not seen again. This missing older condor represents a huge loss for us and the entire flock. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of this bird, please contact us!
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